Index-book



(No Model.) l

A. L. BAER.

INDEX BOOK.

No. 343,420. Patented June 8, 1886.

N- PETERS. Pme-Lithograph". washington. uc.

VUNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAIIAM L. BAER, OF MILVAUKEE, WISCONSIN.

INDEX-BOOK.

SFECIPICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 343,420, dated June 8, 1886.

Application filed September 24, 1883. Serial No. 107,269. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern..-

Beit known that I, ABRAHAM L. BAER, a citizen of the United States, residing a, the city of Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of \Visconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Index-Books; and I do hereby declarethe following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, ysuch as will enable others skilled in the `artvto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to indexed books; and its object is to-enable the person using the book to readily and accurately open the book, when closed and lying on either side, by the use of one hand only, in a most convenient and advantageous manner, which I accomplish by the peculiar arrangement, location, and duplication of my index.

I am aware that stepped indexes have heretofore been used running entirely across the front edge and across the top or bottom end, as in the English Patent, No. 773 of 1870, and that duplicate characters have been used on the leaves and on the cover, as in Dennisons United States Patent, No.' 197,345, of 1877, and I do not claim the inventions therein shown and described; but if an index runs entirely across the front edge of a book it is not convenient to get at exact places when the book is lying onA its side, for the lingers must be run under thek cover between the book and its support to vgrasp it at the right point and open the book, and when the index is entirely across the end of the book thosev sections of the book that are indicated by letters near the back or hinge edge are difficult to open to by reason of their nearness to the back, particularly in large books, such as ledgers usedin banks and commercial houses. These objections I entirely obviate by locating my index at the lower outer corner of the book, as hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is the front of a book embodying my invention, showing the index proper. Fig. 2 is the back cover of the saine book, showing the duplicate characters of the index proper. Fig. 3 is the bottom end of the book. Fig. 4 is one of the indexed leaves of the book.

The same reference-letters refer tolike parts in all the views.

A is the cover of the book. B is the index proper, consisting, as here shown, of the letters of the alphabet. O is the duplicate index of characters corresponding with the one indicated at B, and D D are the leaves of the book. The index B consists of the letters of the alphabet affixed to the leaves of the book in a triple series of steps arranged `together at the lower outer corner of the book. The characters used need Vnot necessarily be the alphabet, but may be numbers, names, or other designating characters arranged in the manner described. In the book shown the steps are made to descend outwardly from the leaves before to those in the rear, each series of steps being below on the leaves in the rear of the preceding series of steps, and when so constructed I preferably cut out a part of the front cover, removing so much of it as covers the space occupied by the index, thus exposing the index to view. A duplicate set of characters, C, arranged and located to correspond with the index B, is affixed to or imprinted on the outer back cover of the book, though if the order of the index is reversed, so thatit will run from rear to front, then the duplicate characters are located on the front cover, and the back cover may be cut away to expose the index, thus merely reversing the arrangement shown in the drawings. The number of the rows of steps, whether two, three, or four, is not material Vso long as the index is conned to a block or section in the lower outer corner of the book.

The index is intended and especially adapted for largeledgers-such as are used in banks, commercial houses, and lnanufactories-and it will be readily understood that its great value is in the convenience with which such books being so indexed may be opened to any desired place when the book lies on either side on the desk with its end projecting slightly in front (or toward the person using it) of the desk, as it may or commonly does lie when In testimony whereofaf'lx my siglmturein in use. presence 01" two witnesses.

Umb I claim as new, :nld desire to secure by Letters Patent, is f 5 An indexed book having :u1 index of more than one series of steps in the leaves of the Witnesses: book at its lower outer corner, substantially W. Dnom'mis, as described. l J. V. DUPLS.

ABRAHAM L. BAER. 

